Feed-water regulator.



L. B. FULTON.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1913.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

,Zo u]; 6191 73022071 q/vi/bneomm N 7 g 0.. wAsHlNcroN. D. C.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LoUIs B. FULTON or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To THE CHAPLIN- FULTON MANUFACTURING coMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A coR-ro- 'RAT'IoN o'F iENNYIiVANIA.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

Applicationfiled June 21, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS B. FULTON, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed- Water Regulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to WhlCh 1t appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to effect economies in the operation of steam boilers by lessening the periods at which the feed water is supplied under full head.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away, showing an arrangement for carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 shows the controlhng valve.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a pair of boilers, which are shown as a pair only by way of illustration.

2 is the feed line having branches opening into the boilers below the water levels therein.

In the feed line 2 is a water controller 8, which is shown in section in Fig. 2. This controller is shown as comprising a main valve 4, the stem of which is connected to a piston 5 in a housing 6 into which opens a steam pipe 7 whereby the boiler pressure may be utilized for holding the main valve to its seat as against the tension of a spring 8 and the action of the water. In direct alinement with the main valve is an auxiliary valve 9 of considerably less cross-sectional area than the main valve. These valves control oppositely disposed ports through which the feed water passes to the boiler. The stem of the auxiliary valve is also connected to a piston 10 in ahousing 12 into which opens a steam pipe 13 to enable the boiler pressure to hold the auxiliary valve to its seat as against the tension of a spring 13 and the action of the water.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide wholly separate agencies for automatically admitting pressure to and releasing it from the piston housings of the two valves the operation of each agency being controlled by different water levels in the boiler. Any suitable regulators may be employed for accomplishing this result. I have con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.5,'1915. SerIa1 No'.'775,130.

ventionally indicated at 1 1 and 15 two feedwater regulators each of the type shown in Letters Patent No. 662,l88,issued to me N ovember27,1900. I have shown thereg-ulator 15, which controls the auxiliary valve as being smaller. than the regulator 1 1 which controls the main valve, but this is immaterial since both regulators may be of the same size. The two regulators are shown as connected with the water space of the boiler through a common pipe 16 which has a branch pipe 17 which opens into the bottom of the regulator 15. The regulator 14 is shown as being connected with the water column by a pipe 18, and the regulator 15. by a pipe 19. These pipes open into the water column at different levels, that of the regulator 15 being at a higher level than the pipe of the regulator 14:.

Under normal conditions, when there is a heavy draft upon the steam supply, the water level in the boiler does not ordinarily reach the higher level a, and in consequence the auxiliary feed supply is continuous, the valve 9 being unseated. But when the water is above the lower level 6 the feed water regulator 14 holds the main valve to its seat. When the demand on the steam supply is lessened the water upon rising to the level a will eflect the automatic actuation of the regulator 15 and thereby the seating of the auxiliary valve.

The distance between the two levels is predetermined, but ordinarily a range of from one half inch to an inch is enough to normally keep the regulator 15 in commission with the auxiliary valve unseated. Ordinarily the feed water supplied through the auxiliary valve will not exceed the minimum quantity required for the proper operation of the boiler. By means of this separately controlled auxiliary supply I am enabled to lessen the intervals when full heads of water are supplied to the boiler, that is to say, I prolong the periods between such supplies.

The advantages of my present invention will be readily appreciated. It will be noted that both the main and auxiliary supplies are under positive automatic control, and that under normal conditions there is an almost constant supply of water to the boiler, but when the steam consumption is 7 reoluceol, orthe fires are banked, and the in the boiler for separately controlling said' Copies of this patent may he obtained for Waterlevel rises tothe upper level a both the main and auxiliary valves Will be seatech 'Iclaim as my invention 1'. In combination Wlth a boiler, and a feed llne, a maln valve, an auxiliaryvalve,

and means operated at different Water levels valves. I "'2XIn'comb1n'at1on with a boiler, and a feed line, a nialn valve, an auxlllary valve,

and two separate feeclwater regulators controlled by clifierent'water levels in the boiler fof'separately controlling saicl main and auxiliary valves, 1 I I I 3,111 combination with a b'oiler,fand'a boiler,

, Witnesses:

five cents each,-hy addressing 1'. Washington, D.-G.

feed line, a main. valve, an auxiliary valve,

and tWo regulators, one for controlling one LOUIS B. FUL O v lVM. C. GHAPLIN, lV. MCKEE.

e Commissioner of Patents,

signed this v of two sub- 

